Some time had already passed. It was already morning the next day when Icard woke up.
After a brief thought, he looked at Eric who lay sweating profusely while he slept.
"Damn it. It's finally caught up to him" Icard muttered. "He's been trying to hang on all this time but he can't hold it all in for long"
Just then, Reya opened the door to see Icard up already.
"You're awake" she said. "Are you feeling good?"
"Yeah. I am" Icard replied, then looked at Eric again.
"You were out since last afternoon" Matt chipped in from behind Reya, entering the room after she did.
"I was the first to wake up. By then, Jack had brought us all inside already" Reya said quietly. "We didn't see it but we heard you shielded us. Thank you"
"I'm just glad you guys are okay" Icard said in relief.
"Well, everyone's okay except for him" Matt said. "After some time, he began to heat up. He's been feverish since then"
Icard sighed.
'It's not fever' he thought to himself.
Just like everyone, Eric had been tried in his keeper's space.
However, his own trial was different. It was really torturous and Icard wondered sometimes how Eric managed to not lose himself to the pain.
If he had done so, his keeper would get rid of him of course. That was what happened to so many people after their trials.
After touching their orbs, some of them returned in a state of shock like Eric but some of them remained vegetative afterwards.
Eric barely managed to pull through but was in shock for a while before the plague. After which, he barely got himself together and kept moving.
It hasn't been long now, and just like in his past life, Eric entered a coma-like state after the incident with Katar.
Icard couldn't remember just how long but it did take a significant time before Eric woke up--a week perhaps.
'It was bound to get triggered, I guess. If it wasn't Katar, then something else' Icard thought.
'This is meant to be his last test, getting over the aftereffects of his trauma. It's what comes with receiving that kind of power, I guess'
"He's gonna be alright" Icard said.
It was then some movement at the doorway caught his eye. Alia hovered just outside, eyes downcast, fingers twisting the hem of her shirt.
"About that...cat, when you said we shouldn't come out together, I didn't expect that to be the reason" Matt finally said after a brief silence.
"I know a lot of strange things have appeared since that day, so I shouldn't really be surprised. But then, you said that one was different. What the hell was that?"
Icard exhaled calmly.
"I'm not sure. I just know they're Erwalds, and those that come by lightning can be really dangerous. My keeper just told me to ask them to join us once I see one"
"Why?" Matt questioned.
Icard breathed.
"He just said they'll help a lot" he answered.
"You mean there are more?"
Icard nodded.
"You said your keeper told you this?" Reya asked.
"Yeah"
Reya chuckled a bit.
"Your keeper was quite helpful telling you a lot of things. Mine just told me to get stronger. I didn't understand much then but after everything, I'm just trying to accept all this any way they come"
Icard smiled faintly.
For some reason, he didn't want them to know or suspect he knew about all this.
But then, thinking about it, he had failed to recruit Katar after their first meeting in this life again.
Perhaps, it just wasn't possible. If his limits hadn't held him back, it might have worked...
"I--" Alia finally spoke up shyly from behind Reya. "I'm sorry, Icard. You told me to stay back and I--ended up causing all this"
"It's not your fault. None of us could have expected a cat to be like that, so it's alright, Alia"
Alia's face brightened a bit.
"Were you guys--exercising?" Icard asked.
"Ohh. You could hear it? We were actually. Reya's been talking about it for ages now so--mom's orders" Matt said playfully and Reya pounded his head heavily.
"Ouuuch!" Matt yelped.
Icard sighed lightly then stared blankly at the blankets.
'I need to get strong enough as soon as possible. Even though I have memories of my previous life, we still need an Erwald's guidance'.
"You should rest up" Reya said. "Alia has been looking after you guys since yesterday"
"She's a nurse" Matt added and both he and Alia nodded assuredly.
"So, just take your time and join us when you can, man" Matt said.
"Alright" Icard replied before they left.
"I'll--be outside here" Alia said awkwardly before closing the door gently.
It was quiet again. Icard looked at Eric once more.
"You can do this, Eric"
Later, toward evening, he found his way outside. His nerves still tingled from Katar's strike the previous day but it was manageable.
Outside, he met the rest experimenting with their powers.
Reya caught his attention first as she stood in the middle of the street, one hand gripping the bumper of an abandoned sedan.
With a grunt, she lifted one side clean off the ground before letting it drop with a heavy thud.
"Haha" she laughed as she panted. "This is amazing"
"Wow. That's--strong" Matt said in awe, observing her.
"I know" Reya said, catch her breath. "I think this is my limit though"
"Heh" Matt snickered then walked a bit away from Reya, facing a different direction. "I'll try mine again. Let's see my true limit"
He stretched his hands at a target - another car, and then used his power.
He clenched his fists and rumbling sounds and scratches came from the car.
He seemed to try harder, attempting to cut or fold the metal but he couldn't and stopped abruptly, panting as he did.
"I still can't" he said.
"What did you say your keeper called it?" Reya asked.
"Reach" he answered. "She said it's a force. I can reach and affect the constitution of my target" Matt explained. "And this is the most I've grasped from it"
Icard stood watching them from the porch.
'If we had an Erwald with us, they'd provide all the guidance these guys need and we'd get stronger much earlier and faster' Icard thought to himself.
That was why he really wanted to get Katar's interest in their group.
"Hey, Icard!" Matt called, spotting Icard. "If you're up for it, you should join us"
"Are you feeling better now?" Reya asked.
"Yeah. I think I'm okay now" Icard said, flexing his arm.
"Cool. We were just experimenting with our abilities"
Icard opened his attribute panel again and the same thing appeared before him.
[Attribute Status:]
[Strength: F]
[Agility: F]
[Endurance: F+]
[Mana Pool: F]
'I see. When I went beyond the tiers, I stopped checking this panel. I guess I must have forgotten about it'
[
Icard managed to keep his expression steady.
'What are you laughing about? And are you always reading my thoughts?!'
[Maybe]
Icard sighed quietly.
"Are you really okay?" Reya asked, noticing Icard's hesitation.
Icard quickly snapped out of it and walked down the porch toward them.
[Aren't Snowcats So Adorable? Maybe That's Why You Wanted That Erwald So Badly]
Icard ignored the panel.
They were all in the front yard. It was then that he noticed Jack had been with them all this time.
He had been sitting under a small tree in the yard, blocked from Icard's view.
"Woah. I--didn't see you" Icard said, a bit surprised.
"It's okay. I'm also experimenting. I think my ability is wind" he said almost unequivocally.
"Oh. That's--great"
"Show us what you got, Icard" Matt said, drawing in curiously. "I don't know why but it feels like you got the knowledge and talent for this"
"Hehe. You think?" Icard said with an awkward smile. "I just know a few things"
Actually, this was another thing that set him apart. His ability to use system skills.
Unlike others who had to train to construct a skill, he already had them programmed for use.
"But you saved us from that crazy cat. You can use your powers really well. You could even teach us what you know!"
"Hehe. It's not that easy" Icard kept smiling awkwardly at Matt and Reya who kept praising his skills. Matt bugged him a bit more to show them something.
"Alright. It's just that, my keeper's space kind of different"
"How?" Reya asked.
"Well, he lets me use already forged skills" Icard answered.
"Already forged skills?"
"Yeah. Like this one"
[First Floor Access Confirmed]
[Skill Activation: Snow Vine]
Icard's hands turned frosty.
"This one's from earlier. You were also able to do those shard things and that other that long one when we fought those things" Matt said, intrigued by Icard's skill mastery.
Icard remembered instantly.
"Yeah. Exactly" Icard said.
This hadn't happened in his past life though. Since he had only ice shard and later on, snow vine, they didn't get to ask him something like this.
Training for the basics might be a little difficult, they still had a little time to get ready since the Celestial Event hadn't begun fully.
'If I remember correctly, the next herald took a while before he appeared. And during that time, we trained as much as we could. I'll have to help them as much as I can' Icard thought to himself.
Jack watched them discussing heartily. He barely spoke or indulged actively in anything. Just following the group as they went without showing much excitement.
But then, as he sat watching them now, he eyed Icard in particular, suspicion flickering in his empty gaze.